


Joyride

by Amahami



Series: All Around Us [10]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Driving, Ed is dying, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Underage Smoking, ed does not die in this fic, trisha's illness was hereditary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29296773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amahami/pseuds/Amahami
Summary: Mustang decides Edward and Alphonse need to learn to drive, and enlists the help of one Jean Havoc.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Jean Havoc, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: All Around Us [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858846
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Joyride

**Author's Note:**

> This has been done for months, but I can't find a wheelchair user to sensitivity read for me in my budget (I still can't sit up), but I've finally given up and am sharing this. So just be aware that my depictions of wheelchair users is not necessarily accurate, please. Also, I don't know shit about driving, so if stuff about driving is inaccurate, please let me know?
> 
> As always, thank you to [Shilo](archiveofourown.org/users/shilo1364) for betaing this for me. Enjoy!

Edward and Alphonse were in East City, leaving for Briggs the following day. There was only one connection from North City to Briggs a day, and there was no point in spending a night there when they could stay someplace familiar.

Since they didn’t have much of anything to pack, they were meandering the city, enjoying the sights that early winter brought to town. Ed's favourite were the faerie lights for the solstice. The way they reflected off Al's armour and his automail was…  _ magnificent _ . And if Ed were inclined to believe in things like magic, that is what he might refer to faerie lights as.

A car caught their attention when it stopped right next to them instead of speeding past like all the rest, nowhere near an intersection. Ed and Al both tensed as they turned, preparing to fight.

“You two need to learn to drive,” Mustang said, skipping the formalities.

“But I’m only fourteen!” Alphonse squeaked. “That’s not legal!”

Ed rolled his eyes at Al. “Sure. Who’s going to teach us?” he asked as he got into the front seat, ignoring the pain shooting up his left leg. 

“I’m teaching Alphonse,” Mustang said, “and Havoc is teaching you, Fullmetal.”

Alphonse carefully manoeuvred himself into the back seat.

“Are you okay, Colonel?” Ed asked, studying the man in concern.

When Mustang just raised an unimpressed eyebrow, Ed continued. “Havoc’s paralysed. Has been for a couple months, now. You were there when it happened..?”

Mustang grimaced for a moment then rolled his own eyes. “He won’t be driving; you’ll be doing all the driving. Buckle in, I’d like to go sometime today.”

Ed and Al both buckled in and Mustang drove off. The ride wasn't long, and he stopped the car in the outskirts of the suburbs, in the middle of a recently emptied field.

As soon as Mustang shut the engine off, Ed got out of the car.    
  
“Howdy, Boss!” Havoc said, giant grin on his face.

Ed snorted. “You’re way too Northern to say “howdy,” he grumbled back, smiling.

Havoc shook his head. “You ever drove farm equipment?” he asked as he wheeled ahead of Ed. He opened the driver’s door.

“Yeah, have since I was seven or eight.” The car with Mustang and Alphonse drove away before Ed could turn enough to see who was in the driver’s seat. 

“Guess we’re learning separately,” Ed grumbled.

Havoc laughed. “‘Course you are! Don't want you crashing into each other. But since you been on farm equipment you know how it all works. Can’t force the clutch as much, and you actually  _ have _ to use the brake pedal.”

Ed nodded. “Sure. Is hotwiring it the same?”

Havoc didn’t even blink. “Oh good, I don’t have to teach you. Yeah it’s the same. Might take more finagling since the engine is more complicated, though. Try it out.” Havoc wheeled backwards away from the car to give Ed space to work. 

It took Ed a few tries, but he got it quickly. “All right!” he shouted in excitement, punching the air. Pain raced from his port to his fingers and mid-back. He forced the smile to stay happy. 

“Hop in, Ed. I’ll get in the passenger side.”

Ed got in and closed the car door. He buckled himself in with a bit of difficulty, his fingers trembling slightly, but short enough of a struggle to be considered normal. 

Havoc opened his door and manoeuvred himself into the seat. He hauled his chair up and put it in the back seat.

“Okay. How much control’ve you got over your automail foot?"

Ed shrugged, which did not fill Havoc with confidence. Nor did Ed's verbal reply of, "Enough."

"Alright, let's go easy first, then. Go real light on the clutch and shift into first,” Havoc instructed. 

Ed was a… Not a natural, precisely, but he went in knowing the hard parts. Havoc guided him through the gears, then led them through some high-speed need-to-knows, as well as donuts. Mustang owed him a couple tires anyway, it was worth calling in for the joy on Ed’s face as he succeeded in doing it.

For celebration, they got out of the car and Havoc handed Ed a flask. “Full’a the worst moonshine you’ll ever have,” he said. “You earned it.”

“Shit, really? Thanks, Havoc. But uh, I don't drink?”

“Flask is yours too, Ed,” Havoc replied with a smile. He pulled out a cigarette as Ed sputtered in frustration.

"You can dump it out if you like, but the flask really is yours. I won't ever know," Havoc said as he lit his cigarette.

Ed shook his head and put the flask into the tiny bag he was wearing beneath his cloak.

“Cig?” Havoc offered after a moment, out of habit.

“Sure,” Ed replied unthinkingly. Ed, following his normal habits, stuck the cigarette into his mouth, took a deep, centring breath, then snapped, a tiny spark following a line to the tip of his cigarette.

Ed breathed in the disgusting taste of the cigarette. As he exhaled he looked over to Havoc, whose arm was half-extended, holding his lighter out.

Havoc stared at Edward, who stared back at Havoc.

“The fuck?” Havoc asked. 

Ed grimaced but didn’t answer. He inhaled slowly, letting the nicotine get deep into his lungs. 

On Ed’s next inhale, Havoc lit his own cigarette and took a deep drag. After a moment, he said, “Seriously, Boss. The fuck?”

Ed shrugged. “Helps with the emotional shit that comes with being an orphan, I guess,” he said after a moment. Not anywhere near the whole truth, but it was some truth, at least. 

Havoc nodded in understanding. “That’s only a small part of it, right?” Ed grimaced and tilted his head back and forth to indicate _sort_ _of_ , unwilling to elaborate but unsure how to distract Havoc, who shrugged. “That’s fine. Everyone smokes early in towns like ours. I meant the snapping thing. Mustang tell you how to do that?”

Ed grimaced and his shoulders came up to his ears, which made his neck and flesh shoulder spasm. Ed's grimace deepened. “Didn’t mean to do it in front of you. I reverse engineered it, but don’t tell him? This is all I can do with it without catching myself on fire, so I don’t really use it.”

Havoc shrugged again. Did he know how to do anything else? “Al too?” he asked.

“Nah, not last I knew. We gave up at the same time.” Ed took a turn to shrug. He slowly and carefully lowered himself down to the ground next to Havoc’s wheelchair.

“You learned all the same.”

“I did. If Al figured it out, he’d have told me. He’s a better brother than I am.” Ed ground the last tiny part of the cigarette into the ground. 

“I ain’t touchin’ that can’a worms,” Havoc said, putting his hands up.

Ed snorted. “Much appreciated.” Ed turned to face Havoc abruptly. “Hey, you’ve had sex before.”

Havoc spluttered, choking on the smoke of his cigarette. He handed it to Ed, who stubbed it out for him while he regained his ability to breathe.

“Yes, I’ve had sex. Keen eye,” he finally got out hoarsely.

“How do you do it?” Ed asked, face red.

Havoc’s eyebrows went up. “A prodigal scientist like you, thought you’d know all about sex by now,” he said.

“Yeah, of course I know  _ about _ it, but how do you find people to  _ have it with? _ ” he asked.

Havoc shrugged. “You find someone you fancy, go up and give her flowers or take her dinner--”

“No,” Ed interrupted. “I don’t want a relationship. Just sex.”

Havoc shrugged. Again. “Dunno. The romance is more important to me than the sex. Just be up front and make sure you have condoms.”

Ed nodded. “Sure. But where do I go for that kind of thing?”

“If you’re as antsy to get experience as I think you are, a brothel might be your best bet. Be sure you have cash, double-check prices before you go anywhere with a sex worker, and listen to them. No still means no even when you’re paying ‘em.”

Ed nodded. “Of course. Thanks.” There was an awkward pause before Ed sighed. “How do I go about finding a brothel?”

Havoc's lip quirked up. “Seediest part’a town, look for a bar with madame, mistress, monsieur, that kind of thing. That’s the hostel you’re looking for.”

Ed nodded. “Great. Thanks. And hey, thanks for not being weird about this. All of this. I appreciate it.” Ed smiled.

“‘Course, Boss. Most teenagers are at least curious, if not interested, in how that all works. Oh, if you have trouble getting in, tell ‘em Christmas’ kid sent you.”

Havoc ignored Ed’s confused look and tilted his head up. The sun was just about to set, and the first stars would appear at any second.

“And that’ll work?” Ed asked.

“If you’re in a city big enough to be labeled on the big map of Amestris, yeah, it’ll work.”

“Awesome,” Ed said and tilted his head up to watch the stars as they appeared. 

Once the sun went down and the stars came out, Havoc broke the silence. “Time to head to the park on eighth and tangerine. Know how to get there?”

“Once we get into town I will.”

“I’ll direct you,” Havoc said. He opened the passenger side door and hauled himself in. Ed went around the car and got in the driver’s side as Havoc hauled his wheelchair in after him. 

Ed used the key to start the engine that time. Once Havoc got his wheelchair situated, Ed turned them around and back on the road. 

“Headlights,” Havoc reminded him. Ed had to slow down while he flipped and flicked everything he could get his hands on, and stalled the vehicle twice while he figured out where the headlights were.

Havoc laughed. “Least we’re in the country while you fumble. First time I did, I was part of a military convoy and hit the jeep ahead of me.”

Ed grimaced in sympathy. 

“Yeah,” Havoc said. “Shortly after that, I was recruited to Mustang’s team. Dunno why-- I'd got written up for insubordination. They asked me why I crashed, I told ‘em I didn’t get the manual for the car, so I couldn’t find the headlights. Thought I was being an ass.”

Ed shook his head. At a stop sign he glanced to Havoc. “You an ass after that?”

“Course I was. What kinda country boy’d I be if I didn’t live up to expectations?” Havoc asked rhetorically. 

They both fell quiet. Havoc gave Ed directions, and once they arrived, Havoc held out a hand for Ed to shake. 

  
“Good goin’ out there, Boss. I’m real proud’a you.”

Ed took his hand and shook it. “Thanks, Havoc.”

“Call me Jean. Now get outta my car!” he said, smile huge on his face.

“Keep safe, Jean,” Ed shouted as he slid from the car.

Alphonse was there waiting with Mustang. Mustang passed him to go to the car to talk with Jean while Ed walked to Al. 

“How’d it go?” Ed asked as he sat down. His legs were definitely appreciative. 

Al scratched the back of his head with a loud grating noise. Ed grimaced. “Sorry. Uh, I ran over a few kerbs, crashed into a pole, and ran three stop signs. Mustang has forbidden me from driving except in cases of dire urgency.”

Ed snorted and patted Al’s shoulder consolingly, metal tinging hollowly within Al. “That’s rough, buddy.”

“At least you’re  _ pretending _ to be sympathetic,” Al groused.

“Was Mustang a bastard even after you fixed everything up?” Ed asked, anger bursting from where just exhaustion and pain had burned.

“He was fine  _ after _ I fixed everything,” Al said, staring at the squirrel eating crumbs between his feet.

“How’d it go for you?” Al asked after a moment.

Ed grinned. “I did great! Only problem I had was finding the headlights.”

Al sighed. “Of course you did great,” he said. “I mean. I’m glad you did well, Ed!” he said, turning to Ed and readjusting his body language to make it seem like he was happy.

Ed just elbowed Al with his automail. “You can be upset, Alphonse.”

“I know,” Al said, tone slipping back into something a bit more negative. “We should probably get dinner and head back to the barracks, though.”

“As per usual, Alphonse, you’re right. Let’s stop by that Cretan place next to the animal shelter. You can go play with the animals while I eat.” 

“You sure, Brother? I don’t mind keeping you company,” Al said.

“I’m sure, Al. Come on.” Ed gestured to Al and the two of them made their way to the shelter on foot, going through the bad part of town.

They passed a bar called Mistress Carolina and Ed thought maybe he could try the bar food there, instead.

**Author's Note:**

> There is a chapter two, but I've put it in its own separate fic, because it's mostly sex and I don't want to drive away anyone interested in this fic because of the second chapter. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think <3


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